Chapter 128: Chapter 128: Taking Yu An Back

During the banquet, Cui Su hinted both overtly and covertly that Yu Yun would be the successor, drawing frequent gazes of envy or disdain from the Beast Emperor’s other Beast Husbands.

He paid them no mind, enjoying the flattery from others.

Annoyance flashed in Yu Yun’s eyes. She tried to find an excuse to leave several times, but Cui Su ignored her.

Her body hadn’t fully recovered, and she needed to return for treatment as soon as possible. If Cui Su weren’t still somewhat useful, she would have already...

"The Beast Emperor has arrived!"

Just as her mind was wandering, the Beast Emperor arrived.

After a simple exchange of greetings, the Beast Emperor’s gaze swept past Yu An before finally landing on Yu Yun.

The Beast Emperor had never attended her birthday banquet before. Her arrival this time made everyone present speculate about her intentions.

"This Sovereign has come today to announce something important."

Cui Su was completely baffled by the Beast Emperor’s actions, but when he heard "something important," his first thought was of appointing a successor.

’Could it be...’

"The matter of the successor has been delayed long enough. We shall decide it today."

The Beast Emperor’s tone was casual, as if she were discussing what to eat for dinner. "This Sovereign’s choice is Yu Yun. The matter is settled."

She turned and left as soon as she finished speaking, and Cui Su’s hand, reaching out to stop her, met only air.

His expression froze. No one present knew what to say. Appointing a successor should have been a solemn affair, but the Beast Emperor had decided it so casually that it seemed almost like a farce.

This time, Cui Su was met not with envy, but with ridicule.

It wasn’t overt mockery, but the needle-like glares were enough to make him uncomfortable.

Before the banquet ended, someone whispered a few words in Cui Su’s ear. Immediately after, Yu An felt a blatant stare fixed upon her.

Cui Su had learned that Da Hu and the others had brought something to the Beast Emperor, and he suspected that Yu An had said something to her.

After the banquet, he wanted to stop Yu An and demand an explanation, but she turned and left with her people, giving him no chance to speak.

Cui Su’s face darkened. Seeing that Yu Yun was also about to leave, he ordered her to come with him without another word.

Yu Yun: "..."

’When on earth will I finally be able to go back to the mansion for my treatment?!’

Cui Su told her many, many things, including the Beast Emperor’s favoritism toward Yu An, and warned her to be more vigilant.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Yu Yun agreed to everything, growing more and more impatient internally.

Absorbed in his own emotions, Cui Su didn’t notice her perfunctory responses. His gaze turned vicious, and he made a throat-slitting gesture. "Kill her when necessary, Yun’er. No one can stop you from ascending to that position, least of all that bastard Yu An, who came from who knows where!"

"Beast Father, I understand."

Recalling what Granny Gu had told her, Yu Yun thought, ’So Cui Su’s ideas are in line with Granny Gu’s.’

’After what happened at the Ghost Market, Yu An will surely be on guard against me. My injuries will be healed by tonight. I’ll make my move then, to avoid any further complications!’

"By the way," Cui Su added, "although you have five children, you don’t have a female Zaizai yet. Your Beast Father has carefully selected a few males for you. They should have already been sent to the Princess Mansion."

"Although both females and males can contend for the Beast Emperor’s throne, females have an advantage. It’s still better to have a female Zaizai."

Although Yu An has Divine level fertility, it was a good thing she didn’t have a female Zaizai yet. Otherwise, when the Beast Emperor appointed the successor today, someone would have surely jumped out to object.

Yu Yun initially wanted to refuse, but for some reason, she changed her mind and agreed.

When she returned to the mansion, she saw the males Cui Su had sent. Their accommodations should have been arranged by her main husband, but he was nowhere to be found.

Yu Yun asked casually, "Where is my main husband?"

"Princess, the main husband is in his courtyard. Something has happened to the young master."

A servant who had just rushed over said frantically, "The young master developed a high fever. He’s... he’s..."

Yu Yun paused for a moment, then walked toward her main husband’s courtyard.

Her and her main husband’s child was the youngest Zaizai in the mansion. He had been frail since birth. Compared to his four older brothers, he couldn’t survive having just half his life force and blood drained by the Gu Worm.

Yu Yun entered her main husband’s room and saw him in a daze, holding their lifeless child.

A Beastman reverts to their beast form upon death. The main husband held the feather-light Zaizai. He heard Yu Yun enter but did not look up.

To be honest, Yu Yun was very satisfied with her main husband.

All her other Beast Husbands had been arranged by Cui Su; only her main husband was her own choice. When she picked him, she had valued one thing above all else—he was obedient and easy to control.

Moreover, her main husband was utterly besotted with her. After their marriage, he had supported everything she wanted to do with open arms, even when she wanted to absorb the Essence Qi of males to enhance her own fertility.

The main husband had hesitated for only a moment before agreeing. He not only took the initiative to find high-quality males for her but also helped her cover it up.

But at this moment, the main husband’s heart was filled with nothing but endless regret.

’Is this retribution?’

’If I hadn’t helped Yu Yun do those things, would my Zaizai still be alive?’

’And all five Zaizai in the mansion falling ill at the same time... was it really just an illness?’

"Don’t be sad," Yu Yun said, her tone softening for once. "We can have more Zaizai in the future."

"And what then?"

The main husband looked up, his eyes hollow. "After we have them? So you can use them to cultivate your Evil Technique again?"

When Granny Gu brought Yu Yun back, she had been in a horrifying state, yet she recovered in just a few days. At the same time she recovered, the Zaizai fell ill.

In his eyes, there was a profound connection between the two events.

Yu Yun didn’t want to waste her breath arguing, but she also didn’t want to lose such a useful helper. Just as she was about to explain, her main husband’s face began to contort.

His expression was one of agony, but he couldn’t make a single sound.

Yu Yun jumped in fright. She turned her head and saw Granny Gu standing there.

She understood at once. Realizing that Granny Gu had activated the Gu Worm inside her main husband’s body, she said hurriedly, "Granny, he’s still useful..."

"He’s useless now," Granny Gu said coldly. "We’re leaving this place after tonight. The higher-ups have sent people over. They will help you take Yu An, complete the ritual, and seize the Phoenix Blood."

"Everyone in this mansion is useless now. Better to turn them into nourishment for the ritual."

Yu Yun hesitated for a moment but ultimately said nothing, watching coldly as her main husband stopped breathing.

The night concealed all strange movements. One by one, the people of the Princess Mansion ceased to breathe. Yu Yun felt her perfectly restored body and the surging spiritual power within her. She took one last look at the Princess Mansion, then left with Granny Gu.

The other side of the Endless Sea was different from here. The females there valued fertility and also possessed spiritual power. Once she obtained the Phoenix Blood...

As she imagined the future, Yu Yun couldn’t help but let the corners of her lips curl into a smile.

She and Granny Gu waited at a designated spot for a short while. Soon, ten figures appeared, one of them carrying an unconscious Yu An on their back.

Yu Yun couldn’t help but ask, "Granny, weren’t there supposed to be twenty people?"

"They went to do something else," Granny Gu said casually. "Let’s leave first, before they wake up and come after us."

Yu Yun nodded, glanced at Yu An, and began to ponder how she would get her revenge for their previous encounter after taking her Phoenix Blood.

At that moment in the Imperial Palace, everyone from the Beast Emperor down to the lowest servant was unconscious.

In Yu An’s residence, Mo Yan and the other four were also unconscious. They were covered in wounds, and a gash running across Ao Wu’s chest was still bleeding.

The Zaizai were nowhere to be seen, and a dead silence hung in the air.